# When do you stop being afraid



## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.

I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).

Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


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## smokin' machinist (Sep 23, 2006)

Bryan, I have. Cigars that were gifted to me, or any other time that I had only 1. "If I love this smoke and can't find any more" was what went through my mind. Getting through this by lighting up and enjoying the smoke. So far, I have not regretted the decision.


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

Not at all.I might or might not be here tomorrow,live for today.Its a cigar for crying out loud


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## stevieray (Sep 28, 2006)

It's just a cigar....smoke it :2


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## Texan in Mexico (Oct 29, 2007)

68TriShield said:


> Not at all.I might be here tomorrow,live for today.Its a cigar for crying out loud


As a kid, my father collected vintage six guns, most people would have put them in a museum behind glass. He always told me that Sam Colt made them to be shot and enjoyed with his son.

I know it sounds off-subject but this has been a guiding force for me. We still have them all and they are in great shape.

Whats the old line, something like horses gotta run and tobacco has to be smoked?

Smoke them and when you do run into one again in the future it will become that much nicer for you.


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## tallypig (Apr 26, 2008)

About the most I'll do with something that I know I can't get anymore is hold it (for a short period) for a special occasion. Wedding, vacation, or hell for that matter a herf or a 4th of July cookout. They were made to be smoked and enjoyed! Enjoy!


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## qwerty1500 (Feb 24, 2006)

It's not really being afraid in my case. But, I do save one from every box and stick it in a seperate humidor for loooooooooong term aging. I also label the box code on it so I'll know exactly what it is.

Not really sure what I intend to do with these. Maybe save them for retirement ... there should be some outstanding vintage cigars in there by then.

I guess, if I get run over by a bus before retirement, some lucky BOTL will receive a sweet inheritance.


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## D. Generate (Jul 1, 2004)

Cigars are to be smoked. I might wish in passing that I still had a particulare LE or a cigar that might even be better now with more age than when I smoked it, but these are simply idle thoughts. Smoke them, enjoy them. Fear isn't something you should experience in this hobby.

I regret no cigar that I have smoked. Except that Cremosa.


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## ResIpsa (Mar 8, 2006)

D. Generate said:


> Cigars are to be smoked. I might wish in passing that I still had a particulare LE or a cigar that might even be better now with more age than when I smoked it, but these are simply idle thoughts. Smoke them, enjoy them. Fear isn't something you should experience in this hobby.
> 
> I regret no cigar that I have smoked. Except that Cremosa.





68TriShield said:


> Not at all.I might be here tomorrow,live for today.Its a cigar for crying out loud


:tpd:'s Hope you ARE here tomorrow Dave.

I try to look at it like this. There's always another great cigar to smoke, maybe different, but great in it's own way.

What's the alternative? Smoke crappy cigars so you don't smoke up all the good stuff?:r


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

I saved the top smokes for "special occassions" when I first started smoking. Then I realized that a special cigar makes the occassion special. Now I light up whatever I want, whenever I want.


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## tireiron (Sep 6, 2007)

Just smoke them. At least you will have the positive memory of the cigar, even if you can't find more.


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## schnell987 (Feb 13, 2007)

Bryan,
I share your hesitancy to smoke certain cigars. It is wierd...I will always appreciate (but probably never smoke) certain "special" cigars that have been gifted to me, yet I have no problems racing classic cars (built in 1972 and 1986) all season long - as cars were meant to be driven. 

I hear ya "and cigars were meant to be smoked!" Maybe sometime this summer.


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## mike32312 (Jan 26, 2006)

I agree with Tom and TallyPig. Enjoy them today. Your not promised tomorrow. Nothing better than sharing a great smoke with great friends. That's a special occassion to me. :tu :ss


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

The day your health challenges you and your truly realize, on any day, you may not make it till tomorrow, God forbid.


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## FriendlyFire (Jun 11, 2007)

I know what your saying, 

I'm in to Cigars allmost a year found this place at that time, I started trading cigar with like 3-4 people and before I knew it I have a full Himidor and cooler full of sticks. I obsessed so much with all the trades that I didn't smoke them now I have a bunch of year aged cigars. By now I know what I like and just don't want to waste that time smoking with something I might not like. And besides I love smoking in B&Ms but they usaly want you to buy so I end up buying most of the time I want to smoke.


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## TheDirector (Nov 22, 2006)

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=49847

For a laugh here is my noob-hand-wringing thread over what I should do with some special cubans... ANd If _had _saved my Salomones any longer I might not picked up that box at a righteous price to stash in my coolerdor for the next Special occaison (ie when the mood hits me!)

Since then many things have changed :chk The slope has taken me to new and exciting places. GO with the flow bro. I am not yet in the walk-in-save- it -for- ten -years -by -the -multiple -boxes crowd, but I still have hope! And that keeps me going. To paraphrase Dewey Cox "Smoke Hard"


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## 44MAG (Mar 9, 2008)

theyll always make more.....dont worry!


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

I've been gifted cuban cigars from many fog's here and thought I'd better hang on to them because I may never get any more (don't have the budget to purchase). After being encouraged to smoke 'em up I have enjoyed every one and I'm glad I did. Some of the enjoyment came from the great cigars, but just as much was from the thought behind the gifts.

When my kids were into beanie babies they would cut off the tags and play with them - most of their friends had to keep the tags on and just sit them on a shelf in their rooms, particularly the "special" ones since they were more rare and might be worth something someday. I still remember the looks of horror from their friends (really their parents, the kids were just jealous) when my kids were running around the house having fun and getting their beanies all dirty. Good times. (and beanie babies are worthless now )

Toys are meant to be played with, as Texan in Mexico said guns are for shooting, and I agree with the many that said cigars are meant to be smoked. :tu


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## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

TheDirector said:


> http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=49847
> 
> .......
> 
> Since then many things have changed :chk The slope has taken me to new and exciting places. GO with the flow bro. *I am not yet in the walk-in-save- it -for- ten -years -by -the -multiple -boxes crowd*, but I still have hope! And that keeps me going. To paraphrase Dewey Cox "Smoke Hard"


I dont want to be in that crowd and dont even have aspirations to it. I do have a fridgador I'm using for about 25 boxes of smokes, but thats as far as I'm going down that road. Anything else of mine that ages is purely accidental.


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## longknocker (Dec 16, 2007)

Bryan:
I agree with everyone else. I save some cigars for "special occasions", but I'm always finding new cigars that I really enjoy, like the "lllusiones".
Smoke what you want to smoke, when you want to smoke, and enjoy life!!!

Greg


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## Tidefan73 (May 11, 2007)

Addiction said:


> OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.
> 
> I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).
> 
> Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


B,
You and I both know that whatever you have, you'll get more of...don't try to kid anyone!!  I've been in the same boat. I've had some sticks sit there and just wait for me to find a reason to smoke it. Never really found a reason that seemed right...so, I've decided that everyday is a good reason to smoke ANYTHING that I have. Recently lost a good friend and it made me realize we're only here for a short time; we have to enjoy it!!!
Smoke on my friend, smoke on!!! :ss

T-


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## kgraybill (Apr 18, 2008)

I *had* the same problem. Not anymore.:cb

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=156548


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## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

I vacillate between miserly and binge smoking. Never regret the binges afterwards though.

For me it's mostly the pain of the memories tied to a particular box and the assumed loss once it's gone.

Maybe putting a few notes on the box of pleasures given and glueing them to the wall would help.


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

I can really relate. I bought a ton of stuff, and then enforcement started getting hairy, so I have what I have now, and do not intend to purchase again until I can do so legally. So that's like, what?, February 09 when Barack Obama wins and schedules a ball licking with Fidel and Raul. I can wait that long. Actually, I am a McCain fan, but hey, a man has to have his cigars.
ANYWAY, I look at the fact that I have only two boxes of Monte #2 to get me through to whenever, or only a box and half of Partagas Lonsdales to go.
and I do not feel overly bad. I know that being miserly can help you to age a cigar just enough to enjoy it, where smoke-em-if-you-got-em thinking could make you smoke it too early. But that's another thread, isn't it? Bottom line for me is that they could burn in a fire or be stolen by a bunch of burgular scum tomorrow, or right now while I'm at work. I am just going to enjoy them.


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## z3ro (May 8, 2008)

Why buy it if your not gonna smoke it? Even if there isnt anymore, you can still say that you have enjoyed them till the end.

You cant say that if you just leave them in your humi forever


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## Bubba -NJ (Dec 6, 2005)

The feeling comes and goes for me . I do a have a pair of Monte #2's that my Mom and Dad brought back for me that will sit for a long time . The irony in this is the fact that my mother can't stand the fact that I smoke cigars and she brought me some :chk .


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## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

z3ro said:


> Why buy it if your not gonna smoke it? Even if there isnt anymore, you can still say that you have enjoyed them till the end.
> 
> You cant say that if you just leave them in your humi forever


Z3ro I've sent you PMs and email bro, I have a box to ship to you and I dont know where it goes. Shot me a PM with your address.


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## broozer (Mar 23, 2006)

i have the same problem with my SP coronas and coronas gigantes, but that's why when they got shit canned i stocked up on about 14 boxes of coronas and 12 boxes of CG's. hell, i still pick some up when i can.

bruce


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## demiurgic (Feb 18, 2008)

I remember the actual instance I stopped being afraid to smoke the best of my humi. Bear in mind, I think addiction is a much advanced smoker with far deper pockets. But the situation is the same for us both, because a Pepin to me is the same as a rare cuban to him I guess. 

I am a few months into the hobby right now. 

Started with purely noob smokes. Saved the best for last, smoked the damaged ones first and denied myself the cream with the justification that I won't get those again, or that they are too expensive. 

NOW, I smoke the best I have, and thanks to Addiction's reply in one of my posts, about smoking a Diamond Crown maximus, I even got those! 

What changed? 

I started to cough and I noticed my laps were decreasing in the pool. My stamina went downhill, and I started to feel lethargic. I can swim a solid half hour, and in rough waters of the pacific ocean too. 

But this nagging cough got me thinking man. I said to myself, from now on, only the finest, and in lesser quantity. I felt what it must be like for someone who must hear from the doctor, "you have 3 months" 
A little extreme, but the hacking got me thinking.

The result? 
I am really able to relax into the hobby itself and enjoy it more fully. 

The cough is still there, but lesser than before. I may have to give smoking a break, but till then, I'll pull the good stuff to light up. 2 cents.


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## Navydoc (Jan 26, 2005)

Da Klugs said:


> I vacillate between miserly and binge smoking. Never regret the binges afterwards though.
> 
> For me it's mostly the pain of the memories tied to a particular box and the assumed loss once it's gone.
> 
> Maybe putting *a few notes* on the box of pleasures given and glueing them to the wall would help.


Yea but then you'd have new wallpaper with so many notes.... :ss


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## Navydoc (Jan 26, 2005)

Addiction said:


> OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.
> 
> I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).
> 
> Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


Like most people have said "smoke your best when you enjoy them the most".....for some it's now for some it's never.....and then one day Dunhill of London is selling your stash to some rich American in......Maryland maybe


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## chibnkr (May 2, 2007)

Navydoc said:


> and then one day Dunhill of London is selling your stash to some rich American in......Maryland maybe


LOL!!!! :r:r


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## lenguamor (Nov 23, 2006)

Da Klugs said:


> I vacillate between miserly and binge smoking. Never regret the binges afterwards though.
> 
> * For me it's mostly the pain of the memories tied to a particular box and the assumed loss once it's gone.*
> 
> Maybe putting a few notes on the box of pleasures given and glueing them to the wall would help.


The loss is real if it is something you genuinely CAN'T get again - in all likelihood.

I realized recently that I had crossed the line from smoker to collector - and I hate _collecting_ anything.

It's gradual; you see something discussed, try it and buy a box or two thinking, let's see how this ages. Or that. Or that.

Before I knew it I had countless humidors and they were filled with stuff that I didn't smoke on a regular basis, just conducting aging experiments.

No more.

I'll buy what I smoke; if I can afford it I'll buy many boxes of what I smoke and age _them_; then I'll know that no matter what, what I have is what I'll enjoy, and I'll always enjoy what I have.

But...they'll pry my Ninfas from my cold, dead fingers.

:ss


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## jmcrawf1 (May 2, 2007)

Well, im in the "smoke less, but smoke quality" camp. Mostly because on my budget I can't afford to plow through my favorite cigars. Basically I guess it's a "frugal" approach. I try to make a box last as loooooonnnggg as possible. Even though i'm not worried about the availabilty of my favorite smokes (mostly recent cuban releases).


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## macms (Jun 17, 2007)

Hell, I want to chime in on this topic. Recently I was gifted a 70's cigar. (Thank you again Tom.) I've never held, let alone smoked a cigar remotely close to this age. When I held this cigar in my hand I thought about where this cigar might have traveled, under what circumstances, if the roller was still alive and how many people had made the decision to not light it. I admired the care and affection demonstrated by it's excellent condition.

Who am I to end this journey? Would I enjoy it or appreciate the unique qualities it's history would offer? This cigar survived many previous decisions and now here it was at the mercy of yet another moment in time. It's not a question of whether I deserve to smoke it. I do and I may not have an opportunity like this again. At my age stuff happens. In spite of the world the dam thing survived and now it's mere presence reminded me that my life shared a similar journey. I cannot and will not smoke this cigar. I will look at it and smile and take comfort in knowing that for this moment in time it's journey is safe.

Then there's the fact that Tom gifted it to me. I've never met Tom or spoken with him. Reading his posts provided me insight about who this man is. He doesn't gift cigars randomly for the sake of recognition or to demonstrate he has something that perhaps many others do not. He made the decision to gift me something special and now there is a bond between Tom and I and this cigar.

Dam boys, its just not this complicated, but perhaps when your older an event will happen that will cause you to also pause and reflect upon why me, why now and why this cigar. I'm wondering if it really is about being afraid or something else.


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## Senate1123 (Mar 30, 2008)

Addiction said:


> OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.
> 
> I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).
> 
> Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


that is a big reason y i started to experiment with nc and even joined this community. the idea is that cc, while still possible to attain, are not as readily available as nc's. so if i could find a good, comparable nc that i like then there would be no feeling of "well, if i smoke my last cohiba...when will/can i get another?" ive yet to find something that i like as much but im still new at this.


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## a2vr6 (Oct 28, 2006)

Addiction said:


> OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.
> 
> I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).
> 
> Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


Lol, there will always be Cohiba EL's to buy. Believe me, smoke what you feel like smoking. I have never thought to myself "Maybe I should save this one" when I look into my humidor. It's more "Do I have enough time to enjoy this"? Thats what counts, money is there to spend, waste ...burn. :ss


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## ridein04 (Jun 3, 2007)

Scared I aint scared! As a matter of fact I have been trying to "age" a few of my smokes and cant seem to get them any older than a month or two! For some reason my "collection" doesnt seem to grow much at all.


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## bi11fish (Dec 3, 2006)

Smoke em. 
If I look to the past with fondness I will surely regret the future:chk


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## mustang1 (Oct 11, 2007)

I too feel a certain degree of anxiety when deciding what to smoke. It passes though. 

Some days I'll forego the better smokes for a more common one. 

Other days I'll smoke one of my best for no other reason than it's 3:30 on a Tuesday.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

I like to smoke what I crave at the time.....'cause if you don't, nothing else will satisfy.
That being said, there is another element to this discussion.......another level. It gets a bit difficult at this level. When you have cigars that took you 10 or 20 years to find, and know that quite possibly you may never see them again, or if you do they will be 10 times more in price, it makes it hard to pull the trigger.

But sometimes, especially with friends, when it comes down to it, it really doesn't matter.......it's "just a cigar"!

Ask Icehog the last time he came over to visit........


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## jm0307 (May 21, 2008)

Destroy the evidence, smoke them!!!


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## shilala (Feb 1, 2008)

Addiction said:


> OK this is not a habanos topic per se, but I had never felt this with my NCs. I have spent the last three months with the fear that I dont want to smoke something because I cant get more. For example I dont want to smoke my Cohiba ELs because I may not be able to get more.
> 
> I think I'm finally over it and I realize so what, it was made to burn. Much like my father told me about women if you stand on the bus stop long enough another one will come along, there will be some new must have cigar and I wont keep turning my life topsy turvy to acquire and preserve them all (maybe just the acquire part lol).
> 
> Anybody else either still going through or been through this growing pain?


I've gone through that stage.
It evaporated when someone kindly pointed out that I may not be alive tomorrow, and I'd feel pretty silly if I didn't get to smoke those cigars. 
Made perfectly good sense.
If I smoke all of anything, and they aren't making any more, then I can start searching for something else.
Hunting down something I like has always been fun.


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## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> I saved the top smokes for "special occassions" when I first started smoking. Then I realized that a special cigar makes the occassion special. Now I light up whatever I want, whenever I want.


:tpd: You can spend your life being afraid or get busy living it. Smoke the cigar, they'll make more.


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## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

For a time I held back my best sticks for a certain occasion. No more. Even the brand you mentioned from that island in the Caribbean, I found after more than two years without one, that even that is obtainable.

Enjoy the moment.


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## schnell987 (Feb 13, 2007)

macms said:


> Hell, I want to chime in on this topic. Recently I was gifted a 70's cigar. (Thank you again Tom.) I've never held, let alone smoked a cigar remotely close to this age. When I held this cigar in my hand I thought about where this cigar might have traveled, under what circumstances, if the roller was still alive and how many people had made the decision to not light it. I admired the care and affection demonstrated by it's excellent condition.
> 
> Who am I to end this journey? Would I enjoy it or appreciate the unique qualities it's history would offer? This cigar survived many previous decisions and now here it was at the mercy of yet another moment in time. It's not a question of whether I deserve to smoke it. I do and I may not have an opportunity like this again. At my age stuff happens. In spite of the world the dam thing survived and now it's mere presence reminded me that my life shared a similar journey. I cannot and will not smoke this cigar. I will look at it and smile and take comfort in knowing that for this moment in time it's journey is safe.
> 
> ...


Well said...well said :tu


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